Heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds caused flooding and transport disruptions in several regions of Greece. The island of Skiathos was the most seriously affected, where water flooded streets, roads, shops, homes and businesses, and two parked cars were swept away.
Skiathos Mayor Theodoris Zoumas told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that between 15 and 20 homes and between 40 and 50 businesses were damaged. “The rain and wind continue. We are working to restore the main road network, where debris has accumulated. "There are fallen trees and two cars swept away, and schools are closed," he said.
The municipality has requested that the island be declared a disaster area. Damage surveys and preparation of compensation procedures have begun. Residents have been warned via the 112 system to limit their travel to emergencies only.
Floods and closed roads
In the Athens area, the fire department received 38 calls between late last night and 6:00 a.m. The teams pumped water into nine locations and removed 15 fallen trees. On the island of Euboea, 20 more reports were received, 19 trees were removed and one road was cleared.
The Kireas River on Euboea overflowed its banks, disrupting road connections between the northern part of the island and Chalkida. Roads were flooded on Rhodes, and the municipality closed a section of the route between Archangelos and Malona. Bus services to Faliraki were canceled.
The police also reported landslides on the road network on Euboea. Due to strong winds, the movement of trucks in the areas of Komotini and Xanthi was restricted, and fishing boats and yachts were prohibited from going out to sea.
Ferry lines suspended
Departures from the ports of Piraeus and Lavrio were suspended. Only some conventional passenger and car ferries are operating in the Saronic Gulf, while hydrofoils are suspended. The connection between Palukia on Salamis Island and Kamareto in Piraeus is also interrupted.
Due to the bad weather, the Prinos-Kavala, Agia Marina-Nea Stira and Arkitsa-Edipsos routes have also been suspended. Morning departures from Rafina have been scheduled, but subsequent trips are subject to reassessment according to the weather conditions.
The National Meteorological Service expects heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail in places, especially in coastal and island areas. In the northern Aegean Sea, gusts reach 9, temporarily 10 Beaufort points. Authorities are urging citizens to follow official warnings and check the status of their ferry trips in advance.
Sources: bta.bg, bntnews.bg, bnrnews.bg